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The Lord Lister | |
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 Photograph of Lister in 1902 | |
| President of the Royal Society | |
| In office 1895–1900 | |
| Preceded by | The Lord Kelvin |
| Succeeded by | Sir William Huggins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 April 1827 Upton House, West Ham, England |
| Died | 10 February 1912 (aged 84) Walmer, Kent, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) | Agnes Lister (nee Syme) |
| Signature |  |
| Alma mater | University College London |
| Known for | Surgical sterile techniques |
| Awards | Royal Medal (1880) Albert Medal (1894) Copley Medal (1902) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Medicine |
| Institutions | King's College London University of Glasgow University of Edinburgh University College London |
Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, (5 April 1827 – 10 February 1912) was a British surgeon and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery.
He promoted the idea of sterile surgery while working at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Lister successfully introduced carbolic acid (phenol) to sterilise surgical instruments and to clean wounds.
Applying Louis Pasteur's advances in microbiology, Lister championed the use of carbolic acid as an antiseptic, so that it became the first widely used antiseptic in surgery.
He knew it was used to ease the stench from fields irrigated with sewage waste. He thought it was safe because fields treated with carbolic acid had no ill-effects on the livestock that grazed on them.
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